Western Governors Wildlife Council

Pilot Projects

Wildlife and their habitat are what many people love most about the West, whether they are hunters, fishermen or wildlife watchers.   Many rural communities also rely on these activities to generate revenues and support their local economies.  To help ensure wildlife and local economies remain viable, states are working together through the Western Governors’ Wildlife Council to develop compatible Decision Support Systems that will help in protecting crucial wildlife habitat and corridors across the region. 

In June, 2010, the Governors adopted a policy resolution that committed their state agencies to complete their decisionsupport systems within three years. Through the Wildlife Council, established in 2008, each participating state is coordinating its wildlife data with neighboring states, applying common definitions for crucial habitat and wildlife corridors.  The information developed will be made publically available online by states across the entire region, and any interested party will be able to access and use the GIS-based tools that are designed to be easily interpreted.

Eight regional pilot projects are underway, funded primarily by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.  These two-year pilots are coordinating their efforts to build compatible Decision Support Systems.  Providing such landscape-scale maps will allow states and the public to better understand potential impacts to crucial wildlife habitat and important corridors, and to identify opportunities to minimize impacts to wildlife while still pursuing necessary development.  Consistent regional wildlife information will provide certainty to industry and allow state wildlife agencies to prioritize limited conservation funding.

WGWC Draft Whitepaper (2/10/10)  - Western Regional Wildlife Decision Support System: Definitions and Guidance for State Systems

Advisory Groups

The Wildlife Council receives advise and feedback from the State-Federal Implementation Group, which was formed to implement a June 2009 MOU between the Governors and the Secretaries of Agriculture, Energy and Interior.  The MOU calls for coordination among the agencies to support the development of the state decision support systems. 

The Council formed the Stakeholder Advisory Group for the purpose of acting as a sounding board for WGWC activities and products and to provide periodic briefings to the Council on issues of mutual interest.  This group is viewed as a longer-term advisory group whose tasks will evolve over time. 

Report on Wildlife Corridors and Habitat

The Western Governors' Wildlife Council was created in June 2008 to coordinate and oversee implementation of the recommendations made in WGA’s report on the Wildlife Corridors Initiative. The Council’s goal and primary tasks are to “identify key wildlife corridors and crucial wildlife habitats in the West, and conserve these lands—and the vast wildlife species that depend upon them—for future generations.”

The report was developed through a multi-state collaborative effort that included six working groups, each of which was charged with developing findings and recommendations on various aspects of wildlife corridors and crucial habitat.

The mission of the Council, consistent with WGA policy, is to identify key wildlife corridors and crucial wildlife habitats in the West and to develop and coordinate implementation of needed policy options and tools for conserving those landscapes.
 

Western Renewable Energy Zones -- State-approved Wildlife Maps

The governors tasked the Council with providing wildlife sensitivity information for the Western Renewable Energy Zones project. Products prepared include a Wildlife data request; criteria for categorizing the sensitivity of wildlife data; and a chart that details the datasets included in the map and how they were categorized. A final report summarizing the data collection and mapping process was prepared by NatureServe, which served as technical consultants for this effort.

Sage-grouse and Sagebrush Conservation

A monumental effort is underway in the Western states to develop and implement a range-wide strategy for the conservation and management of the Greater Sage-grouse, which has been designated as a “candidate” species for protection by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Sage-grouse’s range covers portions of 11 Western states, which are working to maintain and enhance the bird’s population by protecting and improving the sagebrush habitats and ecosystems needed to sustain them.   This multi-state strategy involves not only all levels of government, but also non-governmental organizations, industry and individual citizens.

The governors have adopted policy urging the U.S. Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture to support state and local efforts in implementing their conservation plans at this critical juncture.

Support

WGA thanks the following organizations for their support of the Council:

Doris Duke Charitable Foundation William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Wilburforce Foundation Wildlife Conservation Society U.S. Department of Energy The Nature Conservancy